Force Unleashed

This could either be the greatest video game movie ever or the greatest video game movie flop in recent memory. The Los Angeles Times talks to Haden Blackman, the project leader of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and finds that a film version of the movie isn’t impossible.

His exact words are “never say never,” and for Star Wars fans that could perhaps, maybe, sort of mean “It could happen.” Frankly, the game could work as a movie. It definitely has the structure for it. Lucas Films would definitely have to tone down those powers, but I’d be excited with the possibilities. The thing they need to fix would be the Starkiller-Juno Eclipse relationship, but I could see that happening.

Now, who would star in that movie? Oh, I’ll just say Jake Gyllenhal as Starkiller and Sienna Miller as Juno. Can you think of anything better?

The next chapter in the Star Wars saga isn’t going to be in theaters — it’s heading to video game consoles. And fans are going to be there when Star Wars: Force Unleashed goes on sale tonight.

If you want to go, there’s a plethora of launch parties, including ones at the GameCrazy and GameStop stores around the area. The GameStop in downtown Berkeley is holding its midnight launch on the heels of its Rock Band 2 midnight release.

At GameCrazy shops in the area, the stores have “been granted special permission to demonstrate this game before it goes on sale at midnight, and as a bonus, customers with the best costumes get to play the game at 10:00 PM and receive one of 750 limited edition Force Unleashed action figures.”

If you’re a guy who likes to collect dolls action figures, I’m sure you’ll be dressing in your Sith robe and Darth Maul face paint and be there when the event starts at 8 p.m.

But the biggest launch party will be at the San Francisco Best Buy at 1717 Harrison St. Folks heading down there will meet some of the stars of the game. Sam Witwer who does the voice of the Secret Apprentice and Emperor Palpatine will be in attendance. In addition, LucasArts Executive Producer Haden Blackman and art director Matt Omernick will be partying it up as well.

As you may have heard there’s a little Star Wars game coming out, The Force something-or-other, that the kids have been buzzing about. If you’re interested in it, if that’s your thing, I guess there’s a demo on Xbox Live and PSN.

Ok, fine, I’m ridiculously excited about the existence of a demo of The Force Unleashed but I’m bitter because I can’t play it. My 360 keeps locking up on me but it won’t RRoD, it’s stuck in a limbo between ‘working’ and ‘covered under warranty’ so I’m stuck wishing I could play it but not actually doing so. But you should download it. And tell me how it is so I can live vicariously through you.

Update: I kept my 360 running long enough to finish the demo and, seriously, try this game. Even if you don’t like Star Wars. Try it. You’ll thank me.

September 2008 is going to be a very busy month. Now not only do we have the fifth to look forward to, but also the 16th. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, the hotly anticipated cutting-edge Force playground, has a release date.

I have one exclusive screenshot of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. The rest are more or less the things you’ve seen before. So enjoy this brand new and never-before-seen (except by me and whoever took it) frame of the highly anticipated game. It should hold you over until my extensive preview tomorrow.

There’s a lot of colons in that title. Haden Blackman, the project lead, showed footage of the new Star Wars game at his speech at his sessio on building a game and a studio team at the same time. Overall, the game looked pretty rough but promising. There were explosions, crashing TIE Fighters and stormtroopers getting thrown like ragdolls.

Some thoughts:

The gameplay looked God of War-ish. There is a combo system along with Force powers such as pull and grab. Darth Vaders apprentice uses this power all over the stage.

There’s a payoff camera. What’s a payoff camera. When you toss a Stormtrooper, the camera follows him to his death.

The level we saw was an assassination mission. You were supposed to leave no witnesses. Hence, major destruction. You know, TIE fighters getting tossed around, blasting doors open with the Force.

LucasArts gave away some Force Unleashed figures for its tabletop game. The box is unopened and for you Star Wars freaks, I’ll give it away to the first person to write up a real comment (ie. see substantial opinion) in any post. Hey it’s free swag.